User blog:Ugra Murda Kurma/Folk Religious
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_Christianity#Folk_Christianity =Folk religion= * *Watch this page For religions sometimes described as "folk religions" or "ethnic religions", see Ethnic religion.This page has some issues Folk religion, sometimes also termed popular belief, consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of areligion, but outside of official doctrine and practices.[1] Folk religion has been defined as "the totality of all those views and practices of religion that exist among the people apart from and alongside the strictly theological and liturgical forms of the official religion."[2] The term "folk religion" is generally held to encompass two related but separate subjects. The first is the religious dimension of folk culture, or the folk-cultural dimensions of religion. The second refers to the study of syncretisms between two cultures with different stages of formal expression, such as the melange of African folk beliefs and Roman Catholicism that led to the development of Vodun and Santería, and similar mixtures of formal religions with folk cultures.[3] Chinese folk religion, Folk Christianity, Folk Hinduism, and Folk Islam are examples of folk religion associated with major religions. The term is also used, especially by the clergy of the faiths involved, to describe the desire of people who otherwise infrequently attend religious worship, do not belong to a church or similar religious society, and who have not made a formal profession of faith in a particular creed, to have religious weddings or funerals, or (among Christians) to have their childrenbaptised.[1] Aspects of many, but not all, folk religions include: *popular theophanies, and similar phenomena like Marian apparitions, originating outside the formal liturgy and hierarchy of the faiths in question. *magical thinking **protective qualities ascribed to religious objects like a particular copy of the Bible, Voodoo pouches, a crucifix, stones, crystals, eagle feathers, or any other "power" object. **belief in traditional systems of magic (hoodoo, voodoo, pow-wow, Benedicaria, Palo Monte, Anito, Santería and Catimbó) **rituals to ward off the Evil Eye, curses, demons, witchcraft, etc. ** Chinese folk religionEdit Chinese folk religion or Shenism[4][5][6] are labels used to describe the collection of ethnic religious traditions which have historically comprised the predominant belief system in China and among Han Chinese ethnic groups up to the present day. Shenism describes Chinese mythology and includes the worship of shen (spirit, god, awareness, consciousness) which can be nature deities, Taizu or clan deities, city gods, national deities, culture heroes and demigods, dragons and ancestors. "Shenism" as a term was first published by AJA Elliot in 1955.[7] Chinese folk religion is sometimes categorized with Taoism, since over the centuries institutional Taoism has been attempting to assimilate or administrate local religions. More accurately, Taoism can be defined as a branch of Shenism, since it sprang out of folk religion and Chinese philosophy. Chinese folk religion is sometimes seen as a constituent part of Chinese traditional religion, but more often, the two are regarded as synonymous. With around 454 million adherents, or about 6.6% of the world population,[8] Chinese folk religion is one of the major religious traditions in the world. In China more than 30% of the population adheres to Shenism or Taoism.[9] Despite being heavily suppressed during the last two centuries, from the Taiping Rebellion to the Cultural Revolution, it is currently experiencing a modern revival in both Mainland China and Taiwan.[10][11] Various forms have received support by the Government of the People's Republic of China, such as Mazuism in Southern China (officially about 160 million Chinese are Mazuists),[12] Huangdi worship,[13][14] Black Dragon worship in Shaanxi,[15][16][17] and Cai Shen worship.[18] Folk ChristianityEdit Further information: Christian mythology and Folk Catholicismhttp://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Botanica.jpgBotánicas such as this one in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, USA, sell religious goods such as statues of saints and candles decorated with prayers alongsidefolk medicine and amulets. Folk Christianity is defined differently by various scholars. Definitions include "the Christianity practiced by a conquered people",[19] Christianity as most people live it – a term used to "overcome the division of beliefs into Orthodox and unorthodox",[20] Christianity as impacted by superstition as practiced by certain geographical Christian groups,[21] and Christianity defined "in cultural terms without reference to the theologies andhistories."[22] Folk IslamEdit Further information: Islamic mythology, Druze, Alevi, Alawi and Kebatinan Folk Islam is an umbrella term used to collectively describe forms of Islam that incorporate native folk beliefs and practices.[23] Folk Islam has been described as the Islam of the "urban poor, country people, and tribes",[24] in contrast toorthodox or "High" Islam (Gellner, 1992)[25] Sufism and Sufi concepts are often integrated into Folk Islam. Various practices and beliefs have been identified with the concept of "folk Islam". They include the following: *belief in traditional magic systems and ecstatic rituals[26][27] *the use of shrines and amulets[28] *veneration of saints[29][30] *incorporation of animistic beliefs[31] Folk HinduismEdit The Hindu epics and puranas have contributed to the foundation of Folk Hinduism.[32] Folk Hinduism also includes the Native Dravidian religion, Sanamahism, Bathouism, etc. But today, folk Hinduism ("Indian folk religion" or "popular Hinduism") may still be distinguished from "high" forms of Hindu philosophy, or mystical or ascetic forms. In sociologyEdit In sociology, folk religion is often contrasted with elite religion. Folk religion is defined as the beliefs, practices, rituals and symbols originating from sources other than the religion's leadership. Folk religion in many instances is tolerated by the religion's leadership, although they may consider it an error.[33] A similar concept is lived religion, the study of religion as practiced by believers. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_folk_religion The Chinese folk religion or Chinese traditional religion[note 1] (traditional Chinese: 中國民間宗教 or中國民間信仰; simplified Chinese: 中国民间宗教 or 中国民间信仰; pinyin: Zhōngguó mínjiān zōngjiào''or ''Zhōngguó mínjiān xìnyăng), sometimes called Shenism (pinyin: Shénjiào, 神教)[note 2], is the collection of grassroots ethnic religious traditions of the Han Chinese, or the indigenous religion ofChina.[3] Chinese folk religion primarily consists in the worship of the shen (神 "gods", "spirits", "awarenesses", "consciousnesses", "archetypes"; literally "expressions", the energies that generate things and make them thrive)[4] which can be nature deities, city deities or tutelary deities of other human agglomerations, national deities, cultural heroes and demigods, ancestors and progenitors, and deities of the kinship. Holy narratives regarding some of these gods are codified into the body ofChinese mythology. Another name of this complex of religions is Chinese Universism,[note 3]especially referring to its intrinsic metaphysical perspective.[5][note 4] The Chinese folk religion has a variety of sources, localised worship forms, founder backgrounds,[6][7] ritual and philosophical traditions. Among the ritual traditions, notable examples include Chinese shamanism (or "Wuism") and Nuo ritualism. Chinese folk religion is sometimes categorized inadequately as "Taoism", since over the centuries institutional Taoism has acted as a "liturgical framework" of local religions.[8] Zhengyi Taoism is especially intertwined with local cults, with Zhengyi daoshi often performing rituals for local temples and communities. Various orders of ritual ministers operate in folk religion but outside codified Taoism. Confucianism advocates worship of gods and ancestors through proper rites, which have an ethical importance.[9][note 5]Taoism in its various currents, either comprehended or not within the Chinese folk religion, has some of its origins from Wuism.[11] Chinese religion mirrors the social landscape, and takes on different shades for different people.[12] Despite their great diversity, all the expressions of Chinese folk religion have a common core that can be summarised as four spiritual, cosmological, and moral concepts[13]—''Tian'' (天), Heaven, the source of moral meaning, the utmost god and the universe itself; qi (气), the breath or substance of the universe; jingzu (敬祖), the veneration of ancestors; bao ying (报应), moral reciprocity—, and two traditional concepts of fate and meaning[14]—''ming yun'' (命运), the personal destiny or burgeoning; and yuan fen (缘分), "fateful coincidence",[15] good and bad chances and potential relationships.[15] Yin and yang is the polarity that describes the order of the universe,[16] held in balance by the interaction of principles of growth (shen) and principles of waning (gui),[4] with act (yang) usually preferred over receptiveness (yin).[17] Ling(numen or sacred) is the "medium" of the bivalency, and the inchoate order of creation.[17] Both in imperial China and under the modern nation, the state has opposed or attempted to eradicate these practices as "superstition". Yet Chinese folk religions are currently experiencing a revival in both mainland China and Taiwan.[18][19]Various forms of culture have received forms of official recognition by the government of China, such as Mazuism andXiaism in southeastern China,[20] Huangdi worship,[21] and other forms of local worship, for example the Longwang, Pangu orCaishen worship.[22] The Vietnamese folk religion is similar to the Chinese folk religion practiced in the south. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoodoo_(folk_magic) Hoodoo (also known as "conjure", "rootworking", "root doctoring", or "working the root") is a traditional African American folk spirituality that developed from a number of West African, Native American, and European spiritual traditions and beliefs. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haitian_Vodou Haitian Vodou[1][2][3] (/ˈvoʊduː/, French: [vodu], also written as Vaudou;[4][5] /ˈvoʊduː/Vodun[6][7] or Vodoun[6][8] /ˈvoʊduːn/; and Voodoo /ˈvuːduː/) is a syncretic[9] religionpracticed chiefly in Haiti and the Haitian diaspora. Practitioners are called "vodouists" (French: vodouisants [voduisɑ̃]) or "servants of the spirits" (Haitian Creole: sèvitè).[10] Vodouists believe in a distant and unknowable Supreme Creator, Bondye (derived from theFrench term Bon Dieu, meaning "good God"). As Bondye does not intercede in human affairs, vodouists direct their worship toward spirits subservient to Bondye, called Loa.[11]Every loa is responsible for a particular aspect of life, with the dynamic and changing personalities of each loa reflecting the many possibilities inherent to the aspects of life over which they preside.[12] In order to navigate daily life, vodouists cultivate personal relationships with the loa through the presentation of offerings, the creation of personal altars and devotional objects, and participation in elaborate ceremonies of music, dance, and spirit possession.[13] Vodou originated in the Caribbean and developed in the French Empire in the 18th century among West African slaves when African religious practice was actively suppressed, and enslaved Africans were forced to convert to Christianity.[14][15]Religious practices of contemporary Vodou are descended from, and closely related to, West African Vodun as practiced by the Fon and Ewe. Vodou also incorporates elements and symbolism from other African peoples including the Yoruba andKongo; as well as Taíno religious beliefs, Roman Catholicism, and European spirituality including mysticism, Freemasonry, and other influences.[16] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedicaria Benedicaria, which means "Way of Blessing," is a relatively new term for a number of loosely related family-based folk traditions found throughout Italy, most notably in southern Italy and Sicily. Though referred to by some as "Folk Magic" or even as "Witchcraft," the various Benedicaria Traditions are concerned almost exclusively with healing, cleansing, spirituality, and religious devotion. Benedicaria is also known as Benedicazione (Blessing) in the Cattolichese dialect,Benedica (blessed) in Catanian, and Fa Lu Santuccio (lit. "do a little holy thing") inCampania. Unlike practitioners of Stregheria and some practitioners of Stregoneria, practitioners of Benedicaria consider themselves to be devout Catholics, and the practices of Benedicaria are inextricably linked with Italian popular devotions found inTraditional Catholicism. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palo_Monte HistoryEdit Palo has its roots in the Congo basin of Central Africa, from where large numbers of Kongo slaves were brought to Cubawhere the religion was organized. Palo's liturgical language is a mixture of the Spanish and Kikongo languages, known as''lengua'' or habla Congo. During the late 18th-19th century, Palo began to spread from Cuba to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela,Colombia, and Latino communities in the United States. Belief system and ritualsEdit The Palo belief system rests on two main pillars: *The veneration of the spirits of the ancestors. *The belief in natural/earth powers. Natural objects, and particularly sticks, are thought to be infused with powers, often linked to the powers of spirits. These objects are known as "nganga" and are the ritual focus of Palo's magical rites and religious practice. A certain number of spirits called Kimpungulu (singular: Mpungu) inhabit the Nkisi (sacred objects; also spelled Enkisi,Inquice, or Inquise). Kimpungulu are well known in name and deed, and are venerated as spirits. They are powerful entities, but they are ranked below the Supreme Creator Zambi or Nzambi. The main practice of Palo focuses upon the religious receptacle or altar known as a Nganga or Prenda. This is a consecrated vessel filled with sacred earth, sticks (palos), human remains, bones and other items. Each Nganga is dedicated to a specific spiritual Nkisi. This religious vessel is also inhabited by a spirit of the dead (almost never the direct ancestor of the object's owner), also referred to as "Nfumbe", who acts as a guide for all religious activities which are performed with the Nganga. Various divination methods are used in Palo. Chamalongos uses shells of various materials, often coconut shells. A more traditional method, Vititi Mensú, is a form of envisioning or scrying, using a sanctified animal horn capped with a mirror. There are many spiritual branches, or Ramas, that have developed through the ages such as Briyumba - this branch has separated into branches such as Siete Briyumba Congo; the branch born when seven Tata's from Briyumba combined their ngangas to create an Nsasi Ndoki. SyncretismEdit Religious syncretism can be seen in some houses of Palo, called Palo Cristiano, with the use of the cross and images ofCatholic saints as representations of the Nkisi. However, in other houses, called Palo Judio, there is no syncreticization with Catholic imagery. The name Palo Judio literally means "Jewish Palo", but the term "Jewish" as used here does not refer to Judaism; rather it is metaphorical shorthand for "refusing to convert to Christianity", that is, in the case of Palo, "purely Congo".[1] Due to Kardecian syncretism in many houses of Palo, a spiritual Misa is often held before the initiation, in order to identify the main spirits which will help to develop one's life. These guides often speak through possession, and may give direct advice. PantheonEdit The highest level of the pantheon in Palo is occupied by the supreme creator God, Nzambi. The Kimpungulu (singular:Mpungu) are spirits encapsulated in sacred vessels (Nkisi). Other spirits that can inhabit the Nkisi are Nfuri (wandering spirits or wraiths), Bakalu (spirits of ancestors), and Nfumbe (anonymous spirits). Higher Gods *''Nzambi'' *''Lugambe'' Kimpungulu *''Nkuyu'' *''Kengue'' *''Kobayende'' *''Mariguanda'' *''Gurufinda'' *''Kalunga'' *''Chola Wengue'' *''Kimbabula'' *''Watariamba'' *''Nsasi'' *''Sarabanda'' http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anito Anito is a collective name for the pre-Hispanic belief system in the Philippines. It is also used to refer to spirits, including the household deities, deceased ancestors, nature-spiritsnymphs and diwatas (dryads). Ancient Filipinos kept statues to represent these spirits, ask guidance and magical protection. Much of the tradition has been Christianized and incorporated into Folk Catholicism. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa Santería, also known as Regla de Ochá or La Regla de Lucumí,[1][2] is a syncretic religion of Caribbean origin which developed in the Spanish Empire among West African slaves. Santería is influenced by and syncretized with Roman Catholicism. Itsliturgical language, a dialect of Yoruba, is also known as Lucumí. Category:Blog posts